The Shadow Children (Concept On Hiatus and WIP)
by Clef Jumper
Summary: The Shadow Children, an existence of evolved ponies unknown to the Outside, live peaceful lives away from the eyes of the world beyond them. It is prophesied that Darkness will befall them if it is not stopped, and three Shadow Children are chosen to face it in a foretold battle. This is only the beginning of a major journey of discovery for the Chosen of Shadow Children.


(A/N): This note is just a little filler because I hate how FanFiction unaligns the chapter and title. Ignore this note, it's basically meaningless to you. Happy reading!

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~ Prologue ~

Prophecy from the Guardians

In the calm and quiet of night, the gentle flow of the wind wove silently through the dense treetops and undergrowth of the forest. Pale beams of light emanating from the full moon filtered through the trees and splashed the bracken covered forest floor softly. Not a sound called out into the night but the light chirping of crickets and the occasional buzz of cicadas within the dense forest trees, but hidden deep within the calmness was the muffled sound of hoofsteps against the undergrowth and loose dirt.

From within the deepest shadows of the forest shown two sharp green eyes squinted into fine slits. They darted around for any other sign of movement close by, and a bronzed amber pony covered in a thick fur coat cautiously stepped out of the shadows and into a circular clearing about fifteen feet in diameter. Her thick fox tail tipped in black swatted at a group of mosquitoes swarming furiously around her as she turned her eyes up to the star dotted sky.

Her eyes narrowed into slits once more as she muttered to herself, "You'd better come, Kage. You promised me." She sat down, keeping her eyes steady on the sea of stars above her. She silently began mapping out their unique patterns, studying their formation closely. With unwavering eyes trained above her head, her eyebrows knit together in concentration, the careful survey she held upon the sky intensifying with each passing breath.

In a heartbeat, the forest fell into complete silence for a fleeting moment. A sensation chill to the bone surged through the amber pony, yet she remained still. Simultaneously, a single star shone directly over the clearing gleamed curiously, then proceeded to grow steadily larger. The pony was not shocked by this in any way, but her vivid green eyes widened in excitement. As the star grew larger still, it began to lower itself from the dark blanket above, spiraling downward towards the clearing. The star soon gradually took shape in the form of another pony, though this one appeared younger than the one below. It materialized with a bushy, dark grey coat, a jet black mane tied into a loose braid draping over one side of its furry neck. A thick fox tail emerged elegantly behind it as the glowing figure glided downward. As its hooves coated in black met the bare dirt of the clearing, the translucent being turned pale sleet blue eyes onto the amber pony and gave a warm smile.

"Anbā Kitsune," it greeted her and dipped its head graciously.

Anbā Kitsune, or as she went by informally, Amber Fox, sprang up onto her identical black coated hooves, her eyes gleaming joyfully in the gentle moonlight as she bared her sharp teeth into a smile. "Kage Kōto," she replied, bounding over to stand face to face with Kage, or Shadow Coat.

"It's been awhile since I've seen you last, shisutā," Shadow acknowledged as she gazed upon her sibling. "You've grown much since I've made my journey to the Spirit Tribe."

Amber wasn't used to looking down to Shadow Coat; she was once a few inches shorter than her older sister. Now, she stood tall above her, gazing down to meet the same eyes she had come to love as a small child. "I'm not used to it, either, Kage," she admitted, a small and slightly sullen smile spreading across her face.

Amber's eyes quickly turned mute and cold after this brief sentiment. Her smile faded as her ears dropped crossly, unable to mask the immense disappointment she held inside. "For months you didn't send me any sort of sign to denote your loyalty to watching over me after your arrival to the Spirit Realm," she stated stiffly, keeping her voice low to remain as undetectable as possible. "You swore an oath to me when we had decided to go off together into the forest to seek guidance after our oya-" Amber stopped herself, closing her eyes and exhaling a deep sigh. This wasn't something she wanted to resurface during this reunion with her deceased sibling. "You know what I'm getting at," she finished simply afterward.

Shadow Coat turned somber at this change in atmosphere. Her eyes flashed with guilt that Amber hated to see, but Shadow _had_ made a promise, and honor between siblings was something you never broke. "I had no choice, Anbā," the small pony defended. "Ever since the evaluation of my spiritual connection with the Mortal Realm, the Three Elders of Spirit Tribe have set me to the task of controlled spiritual training to one day become a select Spirit Guardian."

Amber's eyes widened in surprise. "No," she replied in a softer tone, almost as if she didn't believe her. "Kage, that's wonderful," she congratulated, a broad smile upon her face.

Shadow Coat grinned sheepishly, her gaze now upon the bare dirt clearing beneath them as she shuffled a hoof to and fro across its surface. Even with her slightly hazy appearance, Amber could clearly see a blush spread through her cheeks. Shadow was never one to seek attention; she let her actions speak for themselves. "I still apologize for breaking our oath so suddenly," she spoke up finally, turning her pale blue eyes up to her sister repentantly. "I never had the chance to inform you of my training until now, so I understand if you are resentful of me."

Amber's fox tail and ears drooped in shame. How could she have doubted the pony who had cared for her and raised her after all the two had gone through together? "No, it's not right to doubt your loyalty," she pardoned Shadow gently, and her lips curled into an easy smile as she added, "I'm just happy I get to see you, again."

"I am, too, Anbā," Shadow replied, though her lighthearted demeanor beginning to fade, "but I'm afraid I've been sent with an imperative message that I must give you before the time is too late."

As her late sister flashed hasty eyes briefly up into the night sky for a mere moment, Amber cocked her head to one side in interest. "By all means, share it," she encouraged.

Shadow Coat heaved a great sigh, her eyes grazing the sky for another short second before she closed them thoughtfully. Her eyebrows knit together in open reluctance, but she soon drew in a slow, steady breath. "When I was first told this news, Anbā," she started softly, opening her eyes to her sister's hooves, not daring to meet Amber's fixed gaze, "I felt both inclined and wary to deliver this message, but I knew I had no choice." She finally drew her prudent eyes into her sister's. "I am the only one worthy of telling you, and only you, this prophecy, for the time being."

The young spirit turned her gaze shortly after to the surrounding trees. Why wasn't she able to hold her sibling's eyes for more than a few seconds? Amber couldn't help but fear the worst as Shadow Coat spoke after another brief silence, "Something dark will come to this land, a force so powerful that not even the Elders could foretell exactly what presence it will assume when it is unleashed. To put it briefly, this power has been formally classified as the Darkness. If not brought to justice immediately, it will conquer and destroy every bit of the Shadow Children and the Outside, Equestria." Shadow paused to intake a breath, only to release it a short moment after in a sigh of defeat. "I'm afraid it's been revealed that this power will be nearly impossible to defeat, even if the entirety of the Shadow Children under the guidance of Spirit Tribe set themselves to face it when the time comes."

Amber Fox gaped, her terrified eyes glued onto her sister. "No, this can't possibly true," she mumbled, making a weak attempt at denial as if this statement could change the current facts of the situation. "Kage, you aren't insinuating the fate of the land is doomed to a cruel end, are you?"

"Now, don't draw away to any conclusions so quickly," Shadow replied, her indirect response to Amber's question setting a confused visage about the bronzed pony. What other conclusion was there to be drawn from such a dismal prophecy? "This Darkness will be impossible to defeat _if_ we don't put choice into who of the Shadow Children shall face it in battle," the spirit went on to explain, the pregnant pause that followed her words weighing heavily in the air. The two siblings held each other's gaze without a word, the forest life around them almost freezing in time. Shadow Coat broke the exchange with a simple blink, but her eyes seemed to overflow with a burst of twinkling, almost otherworldly light once her eyes had flashed back open. It was like a powerful explosion of hope and faith had been released in this one involuntary gesture, and Amber couldn't help but marvel at the effect it had upon her. Shadow smiled gleefully at her sister's awestruck expression, drawing the silence out a while longer before finishing at last, "We of Spirit Tribe, however, have taken that factor into consideration."

Amber couldn't bring herself to form a response, so she kept her eyes trained on her sister's, which were still gleaming with a strange light. Soon realizing the apparition was pausing for a sign to continue, she nodded her head once as a simple cue to allow her to proceed.

Shadow then spoke once more, "The highest of Spirit Tribe have already meditated upon the threat this Darkness holds to all kind across the land. They, of course, have consulted the Celestial Goddess for guidance upon this matter, and she gave them a task, in return."

"A task?" Amber Fox echoed, at last able to speak. "Perhaps more intense training for when the Darkness finally comes?"

The young apparition shook her head as she replied, "No, this was not a task to simply place upon those they nurtured in Spirit Tribe. This was a task for the Elders and them alone." Faint blue eyes fixed themselves upon the sea of spirits above their heads in admiration. "They were expected to put careful thought into this one easy command, and they went so far as to enact themselves in a Silent Rite for many consecutive days until finally reaching a decision."

"Before that," Amber interjected briefly, "what exactly was this 'task' the Elders received?"

"They were to observe each of the three Mortal Tribes, taking time to evaluate every single individual within that Tribe. They viewed their morals, values, strengths, weaknesses, anything that related to that Shadow Child. Once their observations were complete, they then selected only three of all those they had previously watched, each from one separate Tribe. These three," Shadow Coat paused to meet Amber's eyes with her own, "are the Chosen, destined by Eclipsa, Regina Soarelui si a Lunii, and the Elders of Spirit Tribe to defeat the Darkness."

"Alone?" Amber prodded.

"Actually, no," the glowing apparition responded. "It has been told that there is another great power surfacing, its purpose to oppose the Darkness. A band of eight from the Outside will rise up against it in a fierce battle of Light versus Darkness. The Chosen will ally with them, as each hold in themselves a valuable key to aid the battle."

Amber Fox listened intently to these words as she eyed the forest beyond her sister's spirit with a glazed look in her vibrant green eyes. "The Outside," she repeated, the fur along her slim back bristling in a combination of fear and anger. She never liked to discuss the Outside, as it resurfaced memories the hybrid would rather not remember. "Are you certain it will be safe for those chosen to come into close contact with them?"

Shadow nodded in reassurance. "Yes, Anbā, there is nothing to worry about with this group of eight." She bared her teeth in a kind smile as she continued, "They're understanding, kind, honest, loyal - nothing like what you and I had been exposed to back then."

Amber flashed her eyes to meet her sister's for a fraction of a second, then returned them to the surrounding forest. A calm silence drew over them, the two siblings standing before each other in the calm and quiet midnight. "That's all fine and good, Kage," the ambered pony voiced finally, her volume just barely above a whisper, "but why exactly are you delivering this message to me? Surely the ones chosen by Spirit Tribe are the Chiefs of the Mortal Tribes, aren't they?"

With the moonlight dancing across her eyes wondrously, Shadow Coat smiled with a look of glowing pride and admiration as she answered Amber quietly, " _You_ are the Chosen of Forest Tribe to face the Darkness."

Amber's bright eyes widened in disbelief. For another moment the forest fell silent, only this quiet weighed a little heavier upon the bronze pony than the others. "Surely you jest?" she stuttered in an attempt to debunk her sister's statement.

"I'm not playing around, Anbā," the spirit answered. "What I'm revealing is the truth. I swear on my honor as a disciple of the Three Elders of Spirit Tribe, but I have no time to explain the details of what this means for yourself, at the moment." Shadow Coat stole a quick glance up into the night sky. She stood silent for a few moments longer, her eyes darting skyward in an intricate pattern that Amber assumed were a gathering of stars. Then, she brought her eyes back to her mortal sibling and finished, "Remain in the bounds of Forest Tribe for the time being. I will come to you again when the time is right. You will fully understand then what your mission is as the Chosen of Forest Tribe."

Suddenly, her already translucent figure began to fade into gradual nothingness. "I'm sorry, Anbā, but I don't have much time left here. I wish I could tell you more, but what I have informed you is all I have been asked to tell. My Tribe needs me back in the Immortal Realm, so I must part ways with you, once more." As Shadow had almost finished her farewell, her presence as a spirit had nearly vanished. Just before she disappeared from Amber's sight completely, she murmured softly to her sister with a gentle parting smile, "I love you, Anbā Kitsune."

"Kage, wait!" she called out to her sister, but she had already departed back to Spirit Tribe. Taking a sharp breath, she quickly turned her bright green eyes to the heavens as a glimmering star formed just above her head. It could be only Shadow Coat's. With her eyes still fixated on the star, Amber Fox gave a faint grin and sat down on the bare dirt of the clearing. The twinkling of the stars seemed to give a new light to her eyes as she whispered softly into the night, "I love you, too, Kage Kōto."


End file.
